αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 1

In another essay I understood τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ (ESV: his betrothed)1 differently from τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον (ESV: her as his betrothed and his betrothed).2 My decision was based primarily on Paul’s argument, but it isn’t the customary way these phrases have been translated into English. I want to do a survey of the occurrences of αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ in the New Testament, particularly when associated with an article and noun in the accusative case.

According to the Englishman’s Concordance on Bible Hub there are 1,428 occurrences of αὐτοῦ and 47 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ [see Table below]. If I’ve counted and recognized the accusative case correctly, there are only 21 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ flanked by an article and a noun in the accusative case [see Table below].

Matthew

With the caveats above regarding counting and my ability to recognize the accusative case in Greek, I found 267 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Matthew. Only 90 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. There were 2 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ, but neither were associated with an accusative phrase. In most occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 4 exceptions:

In Matthew 2:2 his star (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα. In Matthew 7:24 and 7:26 his house (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν. And in Matthew 26:51 his ear (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον.

In 7 occurrences αὐτοῦ wasn’t translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV: Matthew 3:4 εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ was wore a garment. In Matthew 9:7 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ was and went home. In Matthew 9:16 τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ was the patch. In Matthew 22:24 τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ was the widow. In Matthew 24:51 καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτῶν θήσει was …and put him with the hypocrites. In that place… In Matthew 27:30 τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ was the head. And in Matthew 27:37 ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ was translated over his head they put the charge against him.

There were no occurrences of παρθένον in Matthew, so I latched onto τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ as a proxy. The phrase was translated his wife (ESV) in Matthew 1:24, 5:31, 5:32 [Table], 19:9 [Table] and 22:25. It was translated one’s wife (ESV) in Matthew 19:3 [Table] and (as mentioned above) the widow (ESV) in Matthew 22:24.

Both occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ are found in Jesus’ description of a wandering unclean spirit (Matthew 12:43-45 ESV):

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it (ἑαυτοῦ) seven other spirits more evil than itself (ἑαυτοῦ), and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.

Here ἑαυτοῦ was translated it (KJV: himself) and itself (KJV: himself), rather than his own like most occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ associated with an accusative phrase [see Table below]. As a matter of interest, τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ in Matthew 27:31 was translated his own clothes (ESV).

Mark

I found 163 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Mark. Only 46 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. There were no occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ. In most occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 4 exceptions:

In Mark 7:19 his heart (ESV) was αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν. In Mark 14:47 his ear (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτάριον. In Mark 14:65 his face (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον. And in Mark 15:19 his head (ESV) was αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν.

Only 1 occurrence of αὐτοῦ wasn’t translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV: Mark 13:34 ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ was when he leaves home. There were no occurrences of παρθένον in Mark, so again I used τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ as a proxy. The phrase was translated his wife (ESV) in Mark 10:11.

Luke

I found 249 occurrences of αὐτοῦ in the Gospel of Luke. Only 72 of them were associated with an accusative phrase. In all of those occurrences αὐτοῦ followed the accusative phrase. There were 5 occurrences where αὐτοῦ was not translated (i.e., his usually) in the ESV:

In Luke 1:58 ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς was that the Lord had shown great mercy to her. In Luke 2:21 καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς was he was called Jesus. In Luke 5:25 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν was and went home, glorifying God. In Luke 12:46 καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀπίστων θήσει was and put him with the unfaithful. And in Luke 15:20 καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ was translated and ran and embraced him.

There were 12 occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ, 7 of which were associated with an accusative phrase [see Table below]. The first occurrence follows (Luke 2:1, 3-5 ESV).

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered…And all went to be registered, each to his own3 (ἑαυτοῦ) town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth,4 to Judea, to the city of David,5 which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,6 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed7 (τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ), who was with child.

Here, the Greek word translated his own was ἑαυτοῦ (NET Parallel Greek and NA28) or ιδιαν (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text). It is fairly clear why Luke chose τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν (or, την ιδιαν πολιν) rather than τὴν πόλιν αὐτοῦ. The latter implies current residence, i.e., the town of Nazareth. The words ἑαυτοῦ or ιδιαν alert the reader that Joseph had a different relationship to this particular town: because [Joseph] was of the house and lineage of David he went to be registered to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.

The next occurrence is similar, though more subtle (Luke 11:21, 22 ESV).

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own (ἑαυτοῦ) palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil [Table].

Here again, the Greek word translated his own was ἑαυτοῦ: his goods (τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ) are safe When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace (τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν). Why did Luke choose τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν rather than τὴν αὐλήν αὐτοῦ? Matthew and Mark chose τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ (a strong man’s house)8 until someone bound the strongman. Then it became τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ (his house).9

I think Luke’s choice highlights that his palace, before it was taken from him, was not merely the current residence of the strong man, but in some sense it shared his identity, like Joseph’s relationship to Bethlehem. It was “the of himself palace” or “the palace of himself” in ways that his goods (τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ), his armor (τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ) and his spoil (τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ) were not.

This is borne out in the next occurrence, where ἑαυτοῦ, when not part of an accusative phrase, is simply “oneself” in the genitive case (Luke 11:26 ESV):

Then [the unclean spirit]10 goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself (ἑαυτοῦ), and they enter11 and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.

The next occurrence of ἑαυτοῦ was a little more difficult to grasp (Luke 13:18, 19 ESV):

He said therefore,12 “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his (ἑαυτοῦ) garden, and it grew and became a tree,13 and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

The Greek words translated his garden were κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ: literally, “garden of himself.” Neither Matthew’s nor Mark’s Gospel account seemed particularly helpful at first (Matthew 13:31, 32 ESV):

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants (τῶν λαχάνων) and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

In Matthew’s account Jesus’ parable described βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (The kingdom of heaven; literally, heavens) rather than βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (the kingdom of God). He wrote of a man who ἔσπειρεν ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ αὐτοῦ (sowed in his field) rather than ἔβαλεν εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ (sowed in his garden). Am I straining gnats, I wondered, trying to distinguish between two interchangeable words: αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ?

Mark wrote (Mark 4:30-32 ESV):

And he said, “With what14 can we compare the kingdom of God, or what15 parable shall we use16 for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest17 of all the seeds18 on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants (τῶν λαχάνων) and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

In Mark’s account there was no mention of a man or a garden beyond τῶν λαχάνων (ESV: the garden plants), just a general description of an event: ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (ESV: which, when sown on the ground). He (and Matthew, for that matter) seemed more focused on the contrast of a tiny seed to a tree with large branches. Of course, I began to take that contrast more personally than I recall before, puzzling over Luke’s man who sowed that tiny seed in the “garden of himself.”

“If you’re really out there, I really want to know you,”19 was a tiny seed. I voiced the words in prayer, but they didn’t originate with me. I had no clue I was asking for eternal life as Jesus understood it. Even as that tiny seed began to grow into an insatiable appetite for the Bible, even as I labored to set the Gospels to music, I was too dull-witted to make the connection. Only when I sang the words for a more literate friend, and he commented on them,20 did I begin to understand—this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent21—as Jesus’ definition of eternal life.

Over the past forty-five years that knowledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [He has] sent has grown considerably. From time to time I get a flash of the whole, but that vision is too immense for me to hold on to for very long. Most of the time I wander around in Him as He leads me through the Bible, focusing on details like why Luke used ἑαυτοῦ rather than αὐτοῦ, marveling at the connections that are made, like so many branches of a tree: for “‘In him we live and move and have our being.’”22

Jesus seemed distressed when Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (John 14:8-11 ESV).

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long,23 and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How24 can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works [Table]. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe25 on account of the works themselves.

So, Luke’s choice of the word ἑαυτοῦ refocused my attention. Jesus wasn’t talking about mustard seeds, or fields, or trees, or even nesting birds specifically, but the kingdom of God (or the kingdom of heaven). Even more to the point, He described that kingdom’s formation and growth from a tiny seed within an individual: εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ: literally, “into [the] garden of himself.”

Though, I’m skipping ahead a bit, Paul chose ἑαυτοῦ to describe God’s kingdom (1 Thessalonians 2:11, 12 ESV):

For you know how, like a father with his (ἑαυτοῦ) children, we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own (ἑαυτοῦ) kingdom and glory [Table].

The Greek words translated into his own kingdom were εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν, literally, “into the of himself kingdom” or “into the kingdom of himself.” Abide in me, and I in you, Jesus said. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.26 And He promised (John 15:7, 8 ESV):

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples [Table].

And Paul wrote (2 Corinthians 5:16-21 ESV):

From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though27 we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come [Table]. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation [Table]; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [Table].

The Greek verb translated we might become was γενώμεθα, a form of γίνομαι in the subjunctive mood:

The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances. It is oftentimes used in conditional statements (i.e. ‘If…then…’ clauses) or in purpose clauses. However if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

The Greek conjunction translated so that was ἵνα. This is a purpose clause and “should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen.” The most important words effecting that outcome are ἐν αὐτῷ, in him: not on our own or by our own efforts, not apart from Him, but in Him. Abiding, remaining, staying in Him causes the seed of his word to grow into the kingdom of God in the garden of ourselves.

I’ll continue with this in another essay. The tables mentioned above follow.

αὐτοῦ Occurrences

ἑαυτοῦ Occurrences

Total

Accusative Phrase

Total

Accusative Phrase

New Testament 1428 136 47 21
Matthew 267 90 2 0
Mark 163 46 0 0
Luke 249 72 12 6

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Matthew

Reference NET Parallel Greek ESV
Matthew 1:2 τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ Judah and his brothers
Matthew 1:11 τὸν Ἰεχονίαν καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ Jechoniah and his brothers
Matthew 1:21 καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν you shall call his name Jesus
αὐτὸς γὰρ σώσει τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν for he will save his people from their sins
Matthew 1:23 καλέσουσιν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἐμμανουήλ they shall call his name Immanuel
Matthew 1:24 παρέλαβεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ he took his wife
Matthew 1:25 ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν he called his name Jesus
Matthew 2:2 εἴδομεν γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἀστέρα For we saw his star
Matthew 2:13 παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ take the child and his mother
Matthew 2:14 παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ took the child and his mother
Matthew 2:20 παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ take the child and his mother
Matthew 2:21 παρέλαβεν τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ took the child and his mother
Matthew 3:3 εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ make his paths straight
Matthew 3:4 ὁ Ἰωάννης εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου John wore a garment of camel’s hair
καὶ ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ and a leather belt around his waist
Matthew 3:7 ἰδὼν δὲ πολλοὺς τῶν Φαρισαίων καὶ Σαδδουκαίων ἐρχομένους ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα |αὐτοῦ| But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism
Matthew 3:12 καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ and he will clear his threshing floor
καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον αὐτοῦ and gather his wheat
Matthew 4:18 καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ and Andrew his brother
Matthew 4:21 καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ and John his brother
Matthew 5:2 καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ And he opened his mouth
Matthew 5:31 ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ Whoever divorces his wife
Matthew 5:32 πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ everyone who divorces his wife
Matthew 5:45 ὅτι τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἀνατέλλει ἐπὶ πονηροὺς For he makes his sun rise on the evil
Matthew 6:27 προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα add a single hour to his span of life
Matthew 6:33 καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ and his righteousness
Matthew 7:24 ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν who built his house on the rock
Matthew 7:26 ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄμμον who built his house on the sand
Matthew 8:14 εἶδεν τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην καὶ πυρέσσουσαν he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever.
Matthew 9:7 ἐγερθεὶς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ he rose and went home.
Matthew 9:16 αἴρει γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱματίου for the patch tears away from the garment
Matthew 9:38 ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ to send out laborers into his harvest
Matthew 10:24 οὐδὲ δοῦλος ὑπὲρ τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ nor a servant above his master
Matthew 10:38 ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ whoever does not take his cross
Matthew 10:39 ὁ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτήν Whoever finds his life will lose it
ὁ ἀπολέσας τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:42 οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ he will by no means lose his reward.
Matthew 12:19 οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets
Matthew 12:29 καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι and plunder his goods
καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Matthew 12:33 Ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν Either make the tree good and its fruit good
ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν or make the tree bad and its fruit bad
Matthew 12:49 καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα |αὐτοῦ| And stretching out his hand
ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν toward his disciples, he said
Matthew 13:41 ἀποστελεῖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ The Son of Man will send his angels
Matthew 13:54 καὶ ἐλθὼν εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ and coming to his hometown
Matthew 15:6 οὐ μὴ τιμήσει τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ he need not honor his father
Matthew 15:32 Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς (NA28: Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ) Then Jesus called his disciples to him
Matthew 16:13 ἠρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ he asked his disciples
Matthew 16:24 ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ take up his cross
Matthew 16:25 ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν For whoever would save his life will lose it
ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
Matthew 16:27 καὶ τότε ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ and then he will repay each person according to what he has done
Matthew 17:1 καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ and John his brother
Matthew 17:27 καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ and when you open its mouth
Matthew 18:6 συμφέρει αὐτῷ ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck
Matthew 19:3 εἰ ἔξεστιν ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife
Matthew 19:9 ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ whoever divorces his wife
Matthew 20:1 μισθώσασθαι ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ to hire laborers for his vineyard
Matthew 20:2 ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ he sent them into his vineyard.
Matthew 20:28 καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ and to give his life
Matthew 21:34 ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ he sent his servants
λαβεῖν τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ to get his fruit
Matthew 21:35 καὶ λαβόντες οἱ γεωργοὶ τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ And the tenants took his servants
Matthew 21:37 ὕστερον δὲ ἀπέστειλεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ Finally he sent his son to them
Matthew 21:38 καὶ σχῶμεν τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ and have his inheritance
Matthew 21:45 Καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τὰς παραβολὰς αὐτοῦ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables
Matthew 22:3 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ and sent his servants
Matthew 22:5 ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ another to his business
Matthew 22:6 οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ κρατήσαντες τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ while the rest seized his servants
Matthew 22:7 καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ and he sent his troops
Matthew 22:24 ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ his brother must marry the widow
Matthew 22:25 ἀφῆκεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ left his wife to his brother
Matthew 24:18 ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ to take his cloak
Matthew 24:31 καὶ ἀποστελεῖ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ And he will send out his angels
καὶ ἐπισυνάξουσιν τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτοῦ and they will gather his elect
Matthew 24:43 καὶ οὐκ ἂν εἴασεν διορυχθῆναι τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ and would not have let his house be broken into
Matthew 24:49 καὶ ἄρξηται τύπτειν τοὺς συνδούλους αὐτοῦ and begins to beat his fellow servants
Matthew 24:51 καὶ τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ὑποκριτ …and put him with the hypocrites. In that place…
Matthew 25:14 καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ and entrusted to them his property
Matthew 26:51 ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα ἀπέσπασεν τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ stretched out his hand and drew his sword
ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον and cut off his ear
Matthew 26:65 τότε ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Then the high priest tore his robes
Matthew 26:67 Τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ Then they spit in his face
Matthew 27:30 καὶ ἔτυπτον εἰς τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ and struck him on the head
Matthew 27:31 καὶ ἐνέδυσαν αὐτὸν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ and put his own clothes on him
Matthew 27:32 ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ to carry his cross
Matthew 27:35 διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ they divided his garments
Matthew 27:37 ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ over his head they put the charge against him
Matthew 27:53 καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἐκ τῶν μνημείων μετὰ τὴν ἔγερσιν αὐτοῦ and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Mark

Reference NET Parallel Greek ESV
Mark 1:3 εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ make his paths straight
Mark 1:6 ζώνην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτοῦ a leather belt around his waist
Mark 1:19 Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ John his brother
Mark 1:41 ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ he stretched out his hand
Mark 3:27 τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι and plunder his goods
καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Mark 4:32 ὥστε δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν αὐτοῦ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade
Mark 5:22 πίπτει πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ he fell at his feet
Mark 6:1 καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ and came to his hometown
Mark 6:14 φανερὸν γὰρ ἐγένετο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ for Jesus’ name had become known
Mark 6:27 ἐνέγκαι τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ to bring John’s head
Mark 6:28 καὶ ἤνεγκεν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πίνακι and brought his head on a platter
Mark 6:29 ἦλθον καὶ ἦραν τὸ πτῶμα αὐτοῦ they came and took his body
Mark 6:41 καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς (NA28: καὶ ἐδίδου τοῖς μαθηταῖς [αὐτοῦ]) and gave them to the disciples
Mark 6:45 εὐθὺς ἠνάγκασεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat
Mark 7:19 ὅτι οὐκ εἰσπορεύεται αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν since it enters not his heart
Mark 7:25 ἐλθοῦσα προσέπεσεν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ and came and fell down at his feet
Mark 7:33 ἔβαλεν τοὺς δακτύλους αὐτοῦ he put his fingers
εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ into his ears
Mark 8:23 καὶ πτύσας εἰς τὰ ὄμματα αὐτοῦ and when he had spit on his eyes
Mark 8:25 εἶτα πάλιν |ἐπέθηκεν| τὰς χεῖρας ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again
Mark 8:26 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ And he sent him to his home
Mark 8:27 καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐπηρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ And on the way he asked his disciples
Mark 8:33 ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ But turning and seeing his disciples
Mark 8:34 καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι and take up his cross and follow me
Mark 8:35 ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν |αὐτοῦ| σῶσαι For whoever would save his life
ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ but whoever loses his life
Mark 8:36 καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ and forfeit his soul
Mark 9:21 καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ And Jesus asked his father
Mark 9:31 ἐδίδασκεν γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ for he was teaching his disciples
Mark 9:41 οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὐτοῦ will by no means lose his reward
Mark 9:42 περίκειται μύλος ὀνικὸς περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ a great millstone were hung around his neck
Mark 10:7 ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ Therefore a man shall leave his father
Mark 10:11 ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ Whoever divorces his wife
Mark 10:45 καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν and to give his life as a ransom for many
Mark 10:50 ὁ δὲ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ And throwing off his cloak
Mark 12:43 καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ And he called his disciples
Mark 13:16 ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ to take his cloak
Mark 13:27 καὶ ἐπισυνάξει τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς [αὐτοῦ] and gather his elect
Mark 13:34 ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ when he leaves home
ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ each with his work
Mark 14:47 καὶ ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτάριον and cut off his ear
Mark 14:65 καὶ περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον and to cover his face
Mark 15:19 καὶ ἔτυπτον αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν And they were striking his head
Mark 15:21 ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ to carry his cross
Mark 15:24 καὶ διαμερίζονται τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ and divided his garments

Occurrences of αὐτοῦ preceding or following a phrase in the accusative case in Luke

Reference

NET Parallel Greek

ESV
Luke 1:13 καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννην and you shall call his name John.
Luke 1:23 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ he went to his home.
Luke 1:31 καὶ καλέσεις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦν and you shall call his name Jesus.
Luke 1:49 καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ and holy is his name.
Luke 1:58 ὅτι ἐμεγάλυνεν κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ μετ᾿ αὐτῆς that the Lord had shown great mercy to her
Luke 1:64 ἀνεῴχθη δὲ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ παραχρῆμα And immediately his mouth was opened
Luke 2:21 καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦς he was called Jesus
Luke 2:34 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς Μαριὰμ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ and said to Mary his mother
Luke 3:4 εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ make his paths straight.
Luke 3:17 διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ to clear his threshing floor
καὶ συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ and to gather the wheat into his barn
Luke 5:25 ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ δοξάζων τὸν θεόν and went home, glorifying God
Luke 5:30 πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ at his disciples
Luke 6:13 προσεφώνησεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ he called his disciples
Luke 6:14 καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ and Andrew his brother
Luke 6:20 Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ And he lifted up his eyes
εἰς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἔλεγεν on his disciples, and said:
Luke 6:45 ἐκ γὰρ περισσεύματος καρδίας λαλεῖ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks
Luke 7:1 Ἐπειδὴ ἐπλήρωσεν πάντα τὰ ρήματα αὐτοῦ After he had finished all his sayings
Luke 7:3 ἐλθὼν διασώσῃ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ to come and heal his servant
Luke 7:16 καὶ ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ and “God has visited his people!”
Luke 7:38 καὶ στᾶσα ὀπίσω παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ and standing behind him at his feet
βρέχειν τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ to wet his feet
καὶ κατεφίλει τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ and kissed his feet
Luke 8:5 ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι τὸν σπόρον αὐτοῦ A sower went out to sow his seed.
Luke 8:41 παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ he implored him to come to his house
Luke 9:14 εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ And he said to his disciples
Luke 9:23 καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ and take up his cross
Luke 9:24 ὃς γὰρ ἂν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι For whoever would save his life
ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ but whoever loses his life
Luke 9:31 ἔλεγον τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ and spoke of his departure
Luke 9:32 εἶδον τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ they saw his glory
Luke 9:43 εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ Jesus said to his disciples
Luke 10:2 ἐργάτας ἐκβάλῃ εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ to send out laborers into his harvest
Luke 10:34 καὶ προσελθὼν κατέδησεν τὰ τραύματα αὐτοῦ He went to him and bound up his wounds
Luke 10:39 ἤκουεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ and listened to his teaching
Luke 11:1 καθὼς καὶ Ἰωάννης ἐδίδαξεν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ as John taught his disciples
Luke 11:8 διὰ τὸ εἶναι φίλον αὐτοῦ because he is his friend
διά γε τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ yet because of his impudence
Luke 11:22 τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ αἴρει he takes away his armor
καὶ τὰ σκῦλα αὐτοῦ διαδίδωσιν and divides his spoil
Luke 12:1 ἤρξατο λέγειν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ πρῶτον he began to say to his disciples first
Luke 12:22 Εἶπεν δὲ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς [αὐτοῦ] And he said to his disciples
Luke 12:25 δύναται ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ προσθεῖναι πῆχυν can add a single hour to his span of life
Luke 12:31 πλὴν ζητεῖτε τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ Instead, seek his kingdom
Luke 12:39 οὐκ |ἂν| ἀφῆκεν διορυχθῆναι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ he would not have left his house to be broken into
Luke 12:47 ἢ ποιήσας πρὸς τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ or act according to his will
Luke 13:15 ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ σαββάτῳ οὐ λύει τὸν βοῦν αὐτοῦ Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox
Luke 14:17 ἀπέστειλεν τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ he sent his servant
Luke 15:5 ἐπιτίθησιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὤμους αὐτοῦ χαίρων he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
Luke 15:13 καὶ ἐκεῖ διεσκόρπισεν τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ and there he squandered his property
Luke 15:15 καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτοῦ who sent him into his fields
Luke 15:20 καὶ δραμὼν ἐπέπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ and ran and embraced him
Luke 15:22 εἶπεν δὲ ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς τοὺς δούλους αὐτοῦ But the father said to his servants
καὶ δότε δακτύλιον εἰς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ and put a ring on his hand
Luke 16:1 διασκορπίζων τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ was wasting his possessions
Luke 16:18 Πᾶς ὁ ἀπολύων τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ Everyone who divorces his wife
Luke 16:20 πρὸς τὸν πυλῶνα αὐτοῦ at his gate
Luke 16:21 ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ἐπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:23 καὶ ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ and in Hades…he lifted up his eyes
Luke 17:2 εἰ λίθος μυλικὸς περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ if a millstone were hung around his neck
Luke 17:16 καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον παρὰ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet
Luke 17:33 ὃς ἐὰν ζητήσῃ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ περιποιήσασθαι Whoever seeks to preserve his life
Luke 18:13 ἀλλ᾿ ἔτυπτεν τὸ στῆθος |αὐτοῦ| but beat his breast
Luke 18:14 κατέβη οὗτος δεδικαιωμένος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ this man went down to his house
Luke 22:36 καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων πωλησάτω τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.
Luke 22:50 καὶ ἀφεῖλεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τὸ δεξιόν and cut off his right ear
Luke 23:34 διαμεριζόμενοι δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἔβαλον |κλήρους| And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Luke 23:55 καὶ ὡς ἐτέθη τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ and how his body was laid
Luke 24:23 καὶ μὴ εὑροῦσαι τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ and when they did not find his body
Luke 24:26 καὶ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ and enter into his glory
Luke 24:50 καὶ ἐπάρας τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ and lifting up his hands

Occurrences of ἑαυτοῦ in a phrase in the accusative case

Reference NET Parallel Greek ESV
Luke 2:3 εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν to his own town
Luke 11:21 φυλάσσῃ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ αὐλήν guards his own palace
Luke 14:26 μισεῖ τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ hate his own father
καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ And…his own life
Luke 14:27 βαστάζει τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ bear his own cross
Luke 15:20 ἦλθεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ἑαυτοῦ came to his father
Luke 24:27 τὰ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ the things concerning himself
Romans 4:19 κατενόησεν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα he considered his own body
Romans 5:8 συνίστησιν δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην But…shows his love
Romans 8:3 τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν πέμψας sending his own Son
1 Corinthians 7:2 ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω each man should have his own wife
1 Corinthians 7:37 τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον to keep her as his betrothed
1 Corinthians 7:38 ὁ γαμίζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον he who marries his betrothed
1 Corinthians 10:24 μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω Let no one seek his own good
1 Corinthians 10:29 συνείδησιν δὲ λέγω οὐχὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ I do not mean your conscience
Ephesians 5:28 ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷ He who loves his wife loves himself.
Ephesians 5:29 Οὐδεὶς γάρ ποτε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ σάρκα ἐμίσησεν For no one ever hated his own flesh
Ephesians 5:33 ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα οὕτως ἀγαπάτω ὡς ἑαυτόν let each one of you love his wife as himself
1 Thessalonians 2:12 τοῦ καλοῦντος ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ βασιλείαν who calls you into his own kingdom
1 Thessalonians 4:4 εἰδέναι ἕκαστον ὑμῶν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σκεῦος κτᾶσθαι ἐν ἁγιασμῷ that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness
Revelation 10:7 ὡς εὐηγγέλισεν τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους τοὺς προφήτας just as he announced to his servants the prophets

Tables comparing Matthew 7:24; 22:24; 1:24; 22:25; Mark 14:65; 10:11; Luke 2:3-5; Matthew 12:29; Luke 11:26; 13:18, 19; Mark 4:30, 31; John 14:9; 14:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:16 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 7:24 (NET)

Matthew 7:24 (KJV)

“Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

Matthew 7:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 7:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 7:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Πᾶς οὖν ὅστις ἀκούει μου τοὺς λόγους |τούτους| καὶ ποιεῖ αὐτούς, ὁμοιωθήσεται ἀνδρὶ φρονίμῳ, ὅστις ᾠκοδόμησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκίαν ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν πας ουν οστις ακουει μου τους λογους τουτους και ποιει αυτους ομοιωσω αυτον ανδρι φρονιμω οστις ωκοδομησεν την οικιαν αυτου επι την πετραν πας ουν οστις ακουει μου τους λογους τουτους και ποιει αυτους ομοιωσω αυτον ανδρι φρονιμω οστις ωκοδομησεν την οικιαν αυτου επι την πετραν

Matthew 22:24 (NET)

Matthew 22:24 (KJV)

“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’ Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

Matthew 22:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 22:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 22:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)

λέγοντες· διδάσκαλε, Μωϋσῆς εἶπεν· ἐάν τις ἀποθάνῃ μὴ ἔχων τέκνα, ἐπιγαμβρεύσει ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναστήσει σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ λεγοντες διδασκαλε μωσης ειπεν εαν τις αποθανη μη εχων τεκνα επιγαμβρευσει ο αδελφος αυτου την γυναικα αυτου και αναστησει σπερμα τω αδελφω αυτου λεγοντες διδασκαλε μωσης ειπεν εαν τις αποθανη μη εχων τεκνα επιγαμβρευσει ο αδελφος αυτου την γυναικα αυτου και αναστησει σπερμα τω αδελφω αυτου

Matthew 1:24 (NET)

Matthew 1:24 (KJV)

When Joseph awoke from sleep he did what the angel of the Lord told him. He took his wife, Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:

Matthew 1:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 1:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 1:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐγερθεὶς δὲ |ὁ| Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕπνου ἐποίησεν ὡς προσέταξεν αὐτῷ ὁ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ παρέλαβεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ διεγερθεις δε ο ιωσηφ απο του υπνου εποιησεν ως προσεταξεν αυτω ο αγγελος κυριου και παρελαβεν την γυναικα αυτου διεγερθεις δε ο ιωσηφ απο του υπνου εποιησεν ως προσεταξεν αυτω ο αγγελος κυριου και παρελαβεν την γυναικα αυτου

Matthew 22:25 (NET)

Matthew 22:25 (KJV)

Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:

Matthew 22:25 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 22:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 22:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἦσαν δὲ παρ᾿ ἡμῖν ἑπτὰ ἀδελφοί· καὶ ὁ πρῶτος γήμας ἐτελεύτησεν, καὶ μὴ ἔχων σπέρμα ἀφῆκεν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ ησαν δε παρ ημιν επτα αδελφοι και ο πρωτος γαμησας ετελευτησεν και μη εχων σπερμα αφηκεν την γυναικα αυτου τω αδελφω αυτου ησαν δε παρ ημιν επτα αδελφοι και ο πρωτος γαμησας ετελευτησεν και μη εχων σπερμα αφηκεν την γυναικα αυτου τω αδελφω αυτου

Mark 14:65 (NET)

Mark 14:65 (KJV)

Then some began to spit on him, and to blindfold him, and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him and beat him. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Mark 14:65 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 14:65 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 14:65 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ ἤρξαντο τινες ἐμπτύειν αὐτῷ καὶ περικαλύπτειν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ κολαφίζειν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγειν αὐτῷ· προφήτευσον, καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται ραπίσμασιν αὐτὸν ἔλαβον και ηρξαντο τινες εμπτυειν αυτω και περικαλυπτειν το προσωπον αυτου και κολαφιζειν αυτον και λεγειν αυτω προφητευσον και οι υπηρεται ραπισμασιν αυτον εβαλλον και ηρξαντο τινες εμπτυειν αυτω και περικαλυπτειν το προσωπον αυτου και κολαφιζειν αυτον και λεγειν αυτω προφητευσον και οι υπηρεται ραπισμασιν αυτον εβαλλον

Mark 10:11 (NET)

Mark 10:11 (KJV)

So he told them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

Mark 10:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 10:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 10:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· ὃς ἂν ἀπολύσῃ τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ γαμήσῃ ἄλλην μοιχᾶται ἐπ᾿ αὐτήν και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην

Luke 2:3-5 (NET)

Luke 2:3-5 (KJV)

Everyone went to his own town to be registered. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

Luke 2:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 2:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 2:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἐπορεύοντο πάντες ἀπογράφεσθαι, ἕκαστος εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πόλιν και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι εκαστος εις την ιδιαν πολιν και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι εκαστος εις την ιδιαν πολιν
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luke 2:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 2:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 2:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἀνέβη δὲ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐκ πόλεως Ναζαρὲθ εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν εἰς πόλιν Δαυὶδ ἥτις καλεῖται Βηθλέεμ, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς Δαυίδ ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρετ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαβιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαβιδ ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρετ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαυιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαυιδ
He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

Luke 2:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 2:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 2:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἀπογράψασθαι σὺν Μαριὰμ τῇ ἐμνηστευμένῃ αὐτῷ, οὔσῃ ἐγκύῳ απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη μεμνηστευμενη αυτω γυναικι ουση εγκυω απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη μεμνηστευμενη αυτω γυναικι ουση εγκυω

Matthew 12:29 (NET)

Matthew 12:29 (KJV)

How else can someone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can thoroughly plunder the house. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.

Matthew 12:29 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 12:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 12:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἢ πῶς δύναται τις εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρόν; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει η πως δυναται τις εισελθειν εις την οικιαν του ισχυρου και τα σκευη αυτου διαρπασαι εαν μη πρωτον δηση τον ισχυρον και τοτε την οικιαν αυτου διαρπασει η πως δυναται τις εισελθειν εις την οικιαν του ισχυρου και τα σκευη αυτου διαρπασαι εαν μη πρωτον δηση τον ισχυρον και τοτε την οικιαν αυτου διαρπασει

Luke 11:26 (NET)

Luke 11:26 (KJV)

Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there, so the last state of that person is worse than the first.” Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Luke 11:26 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 11:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 11:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)

τότε πορεύεται καὶ παραλαμβάνει ἕτερα πνεύματα πονηρότερα ἑαυτοῦ ἑπτὰ καὶ εἰσελθόντα κατοικεῖ ἐκεῖ· καὶ γίνεται τὰ ἔσχατα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκείνου χείρονα τῶν πρώτων τοτε πορευεται και παραλαμβανει επτα ετερα πνευματα πονηροτερα εαυτου και εισελθοντα κατοικει εκει και γινεται τα εσχατα του ανθρωπου εκεινου χειρονα των πρωτων τοτε πορευεται και παραλαμβανει επτα ετερα πνευματα πονηροτερα εαυτου και ελθοντα κατοικει εκει και γινεται τα εσχατα του ανθρωπου εκεινου χειρονα των πρωτων

Luke 13:18, 19 (NET)

Luke 13:18, 19 (KJV)

Thus Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what should I compare it? Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

Luke 13:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 13:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 13:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἔλεγεν οὖν· τίνι ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τίνι ὁμοιώσω αὐτήν ελεγεν δε τινι ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου και τινι ομοιωσω αυτην ελεγεν δε τινι ομοια εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου και τινι ομοιωσω αυτην
It is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the wild birds nested in its branches.” It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

Luke 13:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 13:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 13:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὁμοία ἐστὶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃν λαβὼν ἄνθρωπος ἔβαλεν εἰς κῆπον ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἠύξησεν καὶ ἐγένετο εἰς δένδρον, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατεσκήνωσεν ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ ομοια εστιν κοκκω σιναπεως ον λαβων ανθρωπος εβαλεν εις κηπον εαυτου και ηυξησεν και εγενετο εις δενδρον μεγα και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατεσκηνωσεν εν τοις κλαδοις αυτου ομοια εστιν κοκκω σιναπεως ον λαβων ανθρωπος εβαλεν εις κηπον εαυτου και ηυξησεν και εγενετο εις δενδρον μεγα και τα πετεινα του ουρανου κατεσκηνωσεν εν τοις κλαδοις αυτου

Mark 4:30, 31 (NET)

Mark 4:30, 31 (KJV)

He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to present it? And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Mark 4:30 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ ἔλεγεν· πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν και ελεγεν τινι ομοιωσωμεν την βασιλειαν του θεου η εν ποια παραβολη παραβαλωμεν αυτην και ελεγεν τινι ομοιωσωμεν την βασιλειαν του θεου η εν ποια παραβολη παραβαλωμεν αυτην
It is like a mustard seed that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground— It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

Mark 4:31 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὡς κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μικρότερον ὂν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ως κοκκω σιναπεως ος οταν σπαρη επι της γης μικροτερος παντων των σπερματων εστιν των επι της γης ως κοκκον σιναπεως ος οταν σπαρη επι της γης μικροτερος παντων των σπερματων εστιν των επι της γης

John 14:9 (NET)

John 14:9 (KJV)

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you for so long and yet you have not known me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

John 14:9 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 14:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 14:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)

λέγει αὐτῷ |ὁ| Ἰησοῦς· |τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ| μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωκας με, Φίλιππε; ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα· πῶς σὺ λέγεις· δεῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν πατέρα λεγει αυτω ο ιησους τοσουτον χρονον μεθ υμων ειμι και ουκ εγνωκας με φιλιππε ο εωρακως εμε εωρακεν τον πατερα και πως συ λεγεις δειξον ημιν τον πατερα λεγει αυτω ο ιησους τοσουτον χρονον μεθ υμων ειμι και ουκ εγνωκας με φιλιππε ο εωρακως εμε εωρακεν τον πατερα και πως συ λεγεις δειξον ημιν τον πατερα

John 14:11 (NET)

John 14:11 (KJV)

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

John 14:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

John 14:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

John 14:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)

πιστεύετε μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί· εἰ δὲ μή, διὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτὰ πιστεύετε πιστευετε μοι οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι ει δε μη δια τα εργα αυτα πιστευετε μοι πιστευετε μοι οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι ει δε μη δια τα εργα αυτα πιστευετε μοι

2 Corinthians 5:16 (NET)

2 Corinthians 5:16 (KJV)

So then from now on we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

2 Corinthians 5:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

2 Corinthians 5:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

2 Corinthians 5:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)

῞Ωστε ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν οὐδένα οἴδαμεν κατὰ σάρκα· εἰ καὶ ἐγνώκαμεν κατὰ σάρκα Χριστόν, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν ωστε ημεις απο του νυν ουδενα οιδαμεν κατα σαρκα ει δε και εγνωκαμεν κατα σαρκα χριστον αλλα νυν ουκετι γινωσκομεν ωστε ημεις απο του νυν ουδενα οιδαμεν κατα σαρκα ει δε και εγνωκαμεν κατα σαρκα χριστον αλλα νυν ουκετι γινωσκομεν

1 1 Corinthians 7:36 (ESV)

2 1 Corinthians 7:37, 38 (ESV) Table

8 Matthew 12:29a (ESV) and Mark 3:27a (ESV) Table

9 Matthew 12:29b (ESV) and Mark 3:27b (ESV) Table

10 Luke 11:24a (ESV)

12 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὖν (NET: Then) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: Then).

13 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεγα (KJV: great) following tree. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

14 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πῶς (NET: To what) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τινι (KJV: Whereunto).

16 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had θῶμεν (NET: to present) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παραβαλωμεν (KJV: shall we compare).

18 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εστιν (KJV: that be) following seeds. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

21 John 17:3 (ESV)

22 Acts 17:28a (ESV)

24 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: and) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

25 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μοι (KJV: me) following believe. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

26 John 15:4 (ESV) Table

27 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἰ καὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ει δε και (KJV: yea, though).

He Takes Away, Part 1

He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.[1]  I would like to say that I was blindsided by the suggestion that takes away may not be the best translation of αἴρει (a form of αἴρω) here.  But a quarterback searching downfield for an open receiver knows when he has been tackled from behind.  This was more like being blindsided by a gnat, annoying, but insufficient to shake the well established truth that poor job performance is just cause for termination.

Matthew 3:10 (NET)

Matthew 7:19 (NET)

Luke 3:9 (NET)

Even now[2] the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Every tree that does not bear good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good (καλὸν, a form of καλός) fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Nothing clicked until I examined the meaning of καθαίρει (a form of καθαίρω), translated he prunes in: He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.[3]  I chuckled then, and quipped, “The translators seem to have been a little too enamored with a gardening metaphor and a little too careless with the meaning of the words.”  The gnat was buzzing around my face then.

It wasn’t until later that day, walking and praying, that it dawned on me that I wasn’t merely accusing the Johnny-come-lately translators of the NET (my contemporaries) of carelessness, but the translators of the KJV as well, not to mention anyone else who ever translated John 15:2 into English.  This gnat was not about to be easily brushed away.  It deserved to be entertained or crushed.

Here are the first two occurrences of αἴρει in the New Testament.

Matthew 9:16 (NET)

Mark 2:21 (NET)

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, because the patch will pull away (αἴρει) from the garment and the tear will be worse. No[4] one sews[5] a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment;[6] otherwise, the patch pulls away from[7] it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse.

The KJV rendered it: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away (αἴρει) from the old,[8] virtually identical to Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away (αἴρει).[9]  So can I crush this pesky gnat?  Actually, it slipped through my fingers.

Here is a table comparing Mark 2:21b to John 15:2a.

Mark 2:21b

John 15:2a

 NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

KJV NET

KJV

the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

In the NET the patch was a very clever and concise translation of τὸ πλήρωμα relative to the accurate but somewhat awkward the..piece that filled..up in the KJV.  The translators assumed here that τὸ πλήρωμα was in the nominative case rather than the accusative case: the patch pulls away from it (NET), the..piece that filled it up taketh away (KJV) rather than “he pulls away the patch from it” or “he taketh away the piece that filled it up.”  The translators assumed the Greek word αὐτοῦ, translated it, was an adverb referring back to the old garment (ἱματίῳ παλαιῷ in the Setphanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text; see Table2 below).

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away [from me], the KJV translators left me to assume.  The NET translators simply made it explicit: He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  But what does αυτο mean here?

Surely, it’s not to be understood in the nominative case.  Jesus didn’t refer to the gardener ( γεωργός) his Father with a neuter pronoun.  Surely He (KJV: he) was derived from the 3rd person singular verb αἴρει, and αυτο then was to be understood in the accusative case referring back to every branch that does not bear fruit in me or Every branch in me that beareth not fruit.

So in the NET it was redundant: He takes [it] away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  The NET translators didn’t translate αυτο in the second clause either: He prunes [αυτο] every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.  The KJV translators did, however, translate αυτο in the second clause: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it (αυτο), that it may bring forth more fruit.[10]  So what’s up with the first clause?  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh [it] away, is not that bad.

I compared this construction to the first occurrence of another form of αἴρω.  The devil said to Jesus (Matthew 4:6 NET):

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.  For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ and ‘with their hands they will lift you up (ἀροῦσιν, another form of αἴρω), so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Here is a table comparing Matthew 4:6b to John 15:2a.

Matthew 4:6b

John 15:2a
 NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσιν σε επι χειρων αρουσιν σε πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

KJV NET

KJV

with their hands they will lift you up in their hands they shall bear thee up He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

Here the future tense 3rd person plural verb ἀροῦσιν was translated they will liftup (NET) and they shall bearup (KJV).  The 2nd person accusative pronoun σε, translated you (NET) or thee (KJV), is what they will lift up with or in their hands.  The main reason ἀροῦσιν was translated will lift or shall bear up here instead of “will take away” was because it is itself a translation in the Septuagint of ישׁאונך (nâśâʼ) from Psalm 91:12.  But I also noticed that there is no place mentioned anywhere near the verb where you might be taken away from, only a reason given why they will lift you up, so that (μήποτε) you will not strike your foot against a stone.

This caused me to wonder if ἐν ἐμοὶ, translated in me, in John 15:2 was really a place to be taken away from, or a description of πᾶν κλῆμα, translated every branch.  Perhaps, a better way to frame the question is: does the gardener prune every branch that bears fruit or only those ἐν ἐμοὶ that bear fruit?  The phrase πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ wasn’t repeated in the second clause, only the word πᾶν a form of πᾶς, “every, all.”  So did Jesus say that every branch that bears fruit will be pruned by the gardener (his Father) so that it will bear more fruit whether that branch is ἐν ἐμοὶ or not?

The answer to that question seems fairly obvious a couple of verses later: Remain in me (ἐν ἐμοί), and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me (ἐν ἐμοὶ).[11]  That means that the text should be understood a little differently than it might be read literally.

John 15:2 read literally…

John 15:2 understood…

πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό, καὶ πᾶν [κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ] τὸ καρπὸν φέρον καθαίρει αὐτὸ ἵνα καρπὸν πλείονα φέρῃ
He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  He prunes [anything] that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.  He prunes every branch [in me] that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

So if ἐν ἐμοὶ was meant to distinguish πᾶν κλῆμα from all branches in both clauses, the gardener does two different things for every branch that is ἐν ἐμοὶ, depending on whether it bears fruit (τὸ καρπὸν φέρον) or does not bear fruit (μὴ φέρον καρπὸν) presently.

It seemed unlikely then to me that the gardener’s action could be to remove the branch from the modifier (ἐν ἐμοὶ) that distinguished it from all branches in the first place.  But then, I don’t know Greek as well as those who have translated the New Testament into English.  So I continued.

Jesus explained a parable:

Mark 4:15 (NET)

Luke 8:12 (NET) Table

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately[12] Satan comes and snatches (αἴρει) the word that was sown in[13] them.[14] Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away (αἴρει) the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

There is a third account of this explanation which didn’t contain the word αἴρει: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.[15]  The Greek word translated snatches was ἁρπάζει (a form of ἁρπάζω) here: “to seize, snatch, catch, pluck, pull, take (by force); to plunder, rob, steal, carry off, raven; to tear away, forcibly remove, drag away; to seize, grab hold; to captivate, allure.”

Here is a comparison of Mark 4:15b to John 15:2a.

Mark 4:15b

John 15:2a

 NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

KJV NET

KJV

immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

The first clause begins with an adverb, εὐθὺς in the NET parallel Greek text and ευθεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus, both translated immediately.  Next is a verb ἔρχεται, translated comes (NET) or cometh (KJV).  The subject, who comes or cometh, follows that verb: σατανᾶς, translated Satan.

The beginning of the second clause is marked by the conjunction καὶ, translated and.  This lets me know that Satan comes and snatches (NET) or Satan comethand taketh away (KJV).  There is no need to derive or supply he as a subject for the second 3rd person singular verb αἴρει.  The direct object, what Satan snatches or taketh away, follows that verb: τὸν λόγον, translated the word.

That direct object is modified by τὸν ἐσπαρμένον, translated that was sown, pointing back to: The sower sows the word (ὁ σπείρων τὸν λόγον σπείρει).[16]  Finally, εἰς αὐτούς (NET: in them) or εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων (KJV: in their hearts) specifies where the word was sown, and consequently from where Satan snatches or taketh it away.

The parallel account in Luke 8:12 is very similar:

Luke 8:12b

John 15:2a
 NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus  NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

εἶτα ἔρχεται ὁ διάβολος καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν ειτα ερχεται ο διαβολος και αιρει τον λογον απο της καρδιας αυτων ινα μη πιστευσαντες σωθωσιν πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτό παν κλημα εν εμοι μη φερον καρπον αιρει αυτο

NET

KJV NET

KJV

then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:

The beginning of the clause is marked by an adverb εἶτα, translated then.  The verb ἔρχεται (translated comes or cometh) is the same as in Mark’s account, but the subject here is ὁ διάβολος, translated the devil.  The next clause begins identically to Mark’s account: conjunction, verb, direct object, καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον.  Then things change a bit.

Rather than τὸν ἐσπαρμένον specifying which τὸν λόγον, Luke’s Gospel narrative is explicit where the devil takes away the word from: ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν, translated from or out of their hearts.  A reason follows that, why the devil does this: ἵνα μὴ πιστεύσαντες σωθῶσιν, so that they may not believe and be saved (NET) or lest they should believe and be saved (KJV).

I had to admit that compared to Mark 4:15b and Luke 8:12b, the construction of the Greek in John 15:2a was more like Matthew 4:6b above.  It nudged me further along the path to considering that αἴρει in John 15:2a should have been translated some other way than takes away or taketh away.  But Paul wrote believers in Rome, Then you will say, “The[17] branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.”[18]

I’ll pick this up in another essay.  Tables comparing Matthew 3:10; Mark 2:21; 4:15 and Romans 11:19 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 3:10 (NET)

Matthew 3:10 (KJV)

Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

ἤδη δὲ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ρίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται ηδη δε και η αξινη προς την ριζαν των δενδρων κειται παν ουν δενδρον μη ποιουν καρπον καλον εκκοπτεται και εις πυρ βαλλεται ηδη δε και η αξινη προς την ριζαν των δενδρων κειται παν ουν δενδρον μη ποιουν καρπον καλον εκκοπτεται και εις πυρ βαλλεται

Mark 2:21 (NET)

Mark 2:21 (KJV)

No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and the tear becomes worse. No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Οὐδεὶς ἐπίβλημα ράκους ἀγνάφου ἐπιράπτει ἐπὶ ἱμάτιον παλαιόν· εἰ δὲ μή, αἴρει τὸ πλήρωμα ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τὸ καινὸν τοῦ παλαιοῦ καὶ χεῖρον σχίσμα γίνεται και ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιρραπτει επι ιματιω παλαιω ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται και ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιρραπτει επι ιματιω παλαιω ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται

Mark 4:15 (NET)

Mark 4:15 (KJV)

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that was sown in them. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

οὗτοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν· ὅπου σπείρεται ὁ λόγος καὶ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν, εὐθὺς ἔρχεται ὁ σατανᾶς καὶ αἴρει τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐσπαρμένον εἰς αὐτούς ουτοι δε εισιν οι παρα την οδον οπου σπειρεται ο λογος και οταν ακουσωσιν ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων ουτοι δε εισιν οι παρα την οδον οπου σπειρεται ο λογος και οταν ακουσωσιν ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων

Romans 11:19 (NET)

Romans 11:19 (KJV)

Then you will say, “The branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

ἐρεῖς οὖν· ἐξεκλάσθησαν κλάδοι ἵνα ἐγὼ ἐγκεντρισθῶ ερεις ουν εξεκλασθησαν οι κλαδοι ινα εγω εγκεντρισθω ερεις ουν εξεκλασθησαν κλαδοι ινα εγω εγκεντρισθω

[1] John 15:2a (NET)

[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: also) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[3] John 15:2b (NET)

[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: also) at the beginning of this clause.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐπιράπτει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιρραπτει (KJV: seweth).

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἱμάτιον παλαιόν here in the nominative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιματιω παλαιω in the dative case.

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀπ᾿ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[8] Mark 2:21b (KJV)

[9] John 15:2a (KJV)

[10] John 15:2b (KJV)

[11] John 15:4 (NET) Table

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εὐθὺς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευθεως.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἰς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν.

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτούς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ταις καρδιαις αυτων (KJV: their hearts).

[15] Matthew 13:19 (NET)

[16] Mark 4:14 (NET)  Here the direct object τὸν λόγον (in the accusative case) precedes the verb σπείρει.  It was not ὁ σπείρων τοῦ λόγου σπείρει (The sower of the word sows) in the genitive case, but the placement of the direct object makes me feel like I should understand that the sower of the word sows the word.

[17] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article οι preceding branches.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[18] Romans 11:19 (NET)